Friday, August 10, 2012

They stared at each other for what
seemed like hours, but was probably only a few seconds. Emily’s heart was
divided. The loudest noise in her head demanded that she kill this woman, tear
her life away. The notion that it might be the only way to end the threat she
posed to her family and friends was not a part of this calculus, true as it
probably was. A single strike to her throat would suffice. She found the
prospect repugnant, even viscerally nauseating. Ba We would have struck her
down in an instant, without any hesitation. Why couldn’t she?

As her breath moved in the familiar
pattern, Emily could feel the hatred in MissPark’s
heart. She tasted her fear, as well as her resentment. But what did MissPark
resent her for? “She sought me out,”
Emily thought. “She attacked my
family, destroyed my life.” There was
nothing to account for it. But deep down, without exactly knowing what it could
mean, she felt how her apparent serenity galled this woman. Fear and resentment
were not a stable combination. Emily waited for the attack she knew must come.
She remembered Connie’s warning about her skills.

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Kusanagi, Song of Death is almost done and I've been tinkering with cover possibilities. They're sort of opposites of each other. Don't ask me how that happened. Let me know which one looks better.

The central image is taken from a photograph by Angelo Colucci, who has generously given his time to help me with this project. I found a version of this image on Flickr and was immediately struck by the combination of weariness and resoluteness it expressed. Emily Kane is a reluctant warrior. She doesn't take up her sword lightly, but once she begins to fight, she finishes what others have started. The girl in the image holds her sword with a combination strength and weariness: strength enough to hold the sword in one hand, weariness visible in the way the jacket hangs off her shoulder. She looks out the blank windows, as if she's just finished one battle and wonders whether she'll have to fight another.

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About Me

I'm a writer: that explains all the aimless griping. I'm also a teacher, as well as a parent. That should account for all the ranting about education. I fancy myself an amateur philosopher, which really just means that my gripes and rants are pretentious and hard to read. I spent a fair amount of time practicing martial arts when I was younger, and my daughter is a total ninja, so we take that sort of thing seriously in my house. Kicking bag is right at home among the living room furniture. Lots of practice weapons all over the house.